


Winter Wonderland

by SailorChibi



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Purrs, Angst with a Happy Ending, Animal Tendencies, Cuddling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, First Kiss, Identity Reveal, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Mild Angst, Miraculous Side Effects, POV Adrien Agreste, POV Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Plagg Is So Done, Platonic sharing of a bed, Protective Adrien Agreste, Secret Identity Reveal, Sharing a Bed, animal side effects, identity reveal trash here as per usual, ladybug hibernation, marinette dupain-cheng is stubborn, sadly no clothes came off in the making of this fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-14 14:55:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16915011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorChibi/pseuds/SailorChibi
Summary: Ladybugs will hibernate unless they spend a lot of time in close contact with their Black Cats.It's a lesson that Marinette and Adrien learn the hard way.





	1. Chapter 1

"We need to talk about your girlfriend."

"For the last time, Plagg, Marinette is not my girlfriend," Adrien said crossly, emerging from the bathroom in a cloud of steam. 

Plagg frowned at him. "I meant Ladybug."

"Oh. What about her?" That caught Adrien's attention. He absently tightened the towel around his waist and paused, giving Plagg his full attention. It was so rare that Plagg actually wanted to talk about anything serious. Usually all their conversations were about cheese.

"Snow fell for the first time today. That's usually a sign for Ladybugs to go into hibernation. That includes Tikki and your Ladybug," said Plagg. "This is your first winter, so I'm telling you this so you'll be prepared. Ladybug is going to need you more than ever."

"Ladybug needing me?" Adrien smiled bitterly, shaking his head. "Is she going to fall asleep a lot?"

"Yes. She'll be slower and sluggish during akuma battles too. You're going to have to step it up."

"I can do that," Adrien said. He'd do anything for his lady. He moved over to the closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt. 

"Adrien, pay attention. This is important," Plagg snapped. "You're the Black Cat. You're her partner. You're the only thing that can stop Ladybug from hibernating."

Adrien pulled his t-shirt over his head. "Doesn't she just have to stay warm?" he asked, tugging the shirt down around his waist. "It'll be fine. We'll pick out a spot for Ladybug to wait out akuma battles. I'll bring her the akuma and she can do her thing with it. Then she can go back inside or back to bed or wherever she needs to be. It doesn't have to be any bigger of a deal than when an akuma is around during a storm." He turned away, dropping his towel and quickly pulling boxers on.

Plagg sighed with frustration and flew over, getting right up in Adrien's face and making himself impossible to ignore thanks to the cheese breath. "Look. In the winter, Black Cats produce extra heat for their Ladybugs. You're going to be running a lot hotter this winter. Ladybug's going to need you. _Nothing_ will warm her up like you can. You two are going to need regular, full body contact."

"Me and Ladybug?" Adrien said skeptically, pulling back and flushing at the thought of cuddling with his lady. He'd like nothing better, but... "Plagg, please. Ladybug barely lets me kiss her hand. The only time she hugs me is after she gets scared during an akuma battle. There's no way she's going to let me... what, cuddle her?"

"She won't have a choice," Plagg said. "She'll be getting the same lecture from Tikki. If Ladybug goes into hibernation, she'll sleep until Spring and maybe even beyond that." His whiskers twitched. "What do you think that will mean for akumas?"

"Right," Adrien said. "No cleansing. That would be a problem." He hauled his jeans on, frowning thoughtfully. He was going to have to talk to Ladybug about this during their next patrol.

Unfortunately, Adrien hadn't thought to consider just how busy he became towards the end of the year. His father's company was stepping it up because of Christmas, which meant that between photo shoots and publicity events, Adrien was busy all night. School was becoming more intensive too as they worked towards their exams. And it seemed like Hawkmoth was using every opportunity to make akumas out of the holiday season. Plus, he still had to fit all of his regular lessons in around everything else. Somedays it seemed like he didn't stop from the moment he got up until the moment he collapsed into bed.

It was a good three weeks later before Chat finally got the chance to talk to his lady. It was following one of those rare akuma battles that hadn't required the use of Lucky Charm or Cataclysm, so he and Ladybug didn't have to take off right away. He'd been noticing that she wasn't as on top of her game as usual. Just as Plagg had predicted, she was slower to react and kept yawning during the battle. Even now, standing on the edge of the rooftop, her eyes were half-lidded and she kept blinking slowly. Chat, watching her, thought there was a chance she might actually fall asleep then and there.

"My Lady?" he asked.

Ladybug turned to face him. "What?"

"Are you okay?"

She yawned. "I'm fine, Chat."

He decided to just come right out with it. "You look tired. And you're shivering." 

"It's cold," Ladybug said defensively, wrapping her arms around herself. "We can't all throw off heat like you."

"I'd be glad to share some of my heat with you," Chat said earnestly. For once, he wasn't trying to flirt. He was genuinely concerned.

Ladybug scowled. "I'm _fine_. I don't need your help."

"Meouch. That stings," Chat said, putting his hands up. Ladybug could be infamously stubborn sometimes; he'd noticed that she didn't like accepting help, as though that made her weak or some nonsense like that. He'd gotten pretty good at figuring out when to push and when to let things go, but he wasn't really sure what situation this fell under. It wasn't like he could grab her in a hug. That would definitely be crossing a line. And surely she'd gotten the same talk from Tikki that he'd gotten from Plagg? She had to be aware of the potential dangers.

She sighed, her expression softening. "I'm sorry, Kitty. I'm just getting asked if I'm okay fifty times a day and it wears on a girl after a while. I'm good, really. I'm making use of blankets and sweaters and drinking more hot chocolate and tea than is probably healthy, but I'm good."

"Okay," Chat said, a little doubtfully, but this was one thing he had no choice but to take her word for. "If you need me, Bug -"

"You're only a call away." She actually smiled at him. "Thanks, _Chaton_. I'm going to head home now. My parents are leaving to go to a convention. I've got to be up early to see them off. Bug out." As she spoke, she grabbed her yoyo, threw, and leapt off the building before he could respond.

Well, that was that, apparently. Chat made his own way home, frowning. He made his way into the mansion and detransformed. Even without the suit, he wasn't chilled with the open window. Plagg hadn't been kidding about the extra heat. Adrien could walk around in a t-shirt and jeans when most people around him had donned heavy coats, hats, scarves and mitts. He'd been taking care to dress appropriately, because he didn't want to draw undue attention to the fact that he was running so hot naturally. The last thing he needed was Nathalie dragging him to the doctor.

"I'm worried," Plagg said.

Adrien sighed. "I can't pin her down and hug her, Plagg. That's assault, and Ladybug would kick my ass. If she doesn't want my help, I can't help."

Plagg frowned ferociously and muttered something about stubborn baby bugs. Adrien just shrugged helplessly and set out some Camembert before heading to bed. He didn't sleep well, tossing and turning as he thought about Ladybug. She really was too stubborn for her own good sometimes. The next time they met up, he'd have to work harder at convincing her to accept some help. They didn't have to be that close. He thought that maybe if they just sat side by side, close enough to touch, that might be enough to help. It would still be more contact than Ladybug usually allowed.

He got up the next morning to find the temperature had plummeted by a good ten degrees. Adrien was, for once, grateful that he had a car and a driver. It saved him from what would have been a chilly walk. He hurried into the school and found his way to his classroom. Nino and Alya were already there, though Marinette was missing. That wasn't unusual, since Marinette was typically late, but Alya looked worried.

" - hasn't answered my texts," she was saying.

"What's wrong?" Adrien asked, moving to take his seat.

"Marinette. She was supposed to get up early to see her parents off. I've been texting her, but she hasn't answered me," Alya said.

"Maybe she went back to bed after. This is Mari we're talking about," Nino said. "She's always late. She'll probably come bursting in."

"Maybe. I just worry about her, alone in the bakery," Alya said, peering down at her phone as though that would magically make Marinette text.

"Her parents just left this morning. I'm sure she's fine," Adrien said. 

Ms. Bustier came in then, and class began. She took attendance and seemed surprised at the fact that Marinette wasn't there, which suggested that Marinette's parents hadn't called in sick for her. All throughout the morning, Adrien kept expecting Marinette to show up, but she didn't. That was unusual; it wasn't like Marinette to miss a full school day without some sort of excuse, and he found himself wondering if Marinette was sick. Maybe they should go over at lunch to check on her, since she still wasn't answering Alya's texts.

Something bumped against Adrien's leg. He looked down automatically and almost squeaked when he saw Plagg waving at him. A quick glance around showed that no one was paying attention. Plagg bumped him again, harder this time, and, when Adrien glanced down, held up Adrien's cell phone. Plagg had unlocked it and opened up an app for notes. He'd typed something out in capital letters.

_I ONLY CALL TWO GIRLS YOUR GIRLFRIEND_

_YOU ONLY HAVE ONE GIRLFRIEND_

Adrien stared at the message for what felt like several long minutes while Plagg glowered at him with increasing intensity. It felt like his brain was working through mush, trying to put together puzzle pieces when he couldn't see what he was looking at. Plagg often referred to Marinette as Adrien's girlfriend, even though Adrien corrected him every time. But three weeks ago, Plagg had referred to Ladybug as Adrien's girlfriend. And he'd been doing it more frequently ever since, to the point where Adrien had actually cautioned him that Ladybug would murder them both if she ever heard Plagg saying that.

Marinette.

Ladybug.

"Shit," Adrien breathed.

"Monsieur Agreste!" Ms. Bustier exclaimed.

Adrien jumped, realizing that his whole class was staring at him. "I - uh - apologies, Ms. Bustier," he blurted out. "I just remembered I have a photoshoot that's on the other side of town and I'm going to be late. I gotta -" He grabbed his bag, pointing at the door, and sprinted out of the classroom as fast as his feet could take him.

Marinette was Ladybug. Marinette hadn't shown up today. It was the coldest day of the year so far, and she wasn't answering anyone's texts. His heart pounded from fear as he raced down the corridor and burst out of the school. A quick check revealed that there was no one around. He opened his bag and Plagg burst out, so mad that he was unable to stay still.

" _Finally_! It's about time -"

"Later. Plagg, claws out!"

The instant the green light faded, Chat used his baton to propel himself to the nearest rooftop. The bakery was only a couple of rooftops away, and he easily landed on Marinette's balcony. He scrambled over to the window above her bed and peered inside. And there she was, sound asleep. Her dark hair was spread out across the pillow. The blankets were drawn up to her shoulders. Chat knocked just on the off chance she would wake up, but there was nothing. His pulse quickened as he touched the latch and realized that her window was unlocked.

"Princess?" he whispered, pushing the window up. He hated to enter without her permission, but he'd gladly take an ass kicking if it turned out his fears were unfounded. He slowly crawled inside, landing on her bed, and pulled the window shut behind him.

It was warm in her room, but not as warm as Chat would've expected. He looked around the room and saw that Marinette's parents had been in her room, as they'd left her a cup of tea and some pastries on her desk. The food was untouched. He wondered if Marinette had gotten up to see them off, or if she'd slept through. Maybe her parents had decided against waking her up and had instead just left her breakfast, never realizing that Marinette might not be able to wake up. 

Suddenly, his transformation dissolved. 

"Tikki!" Plagg sqawked, diving over the edge of the bed. Adrien leaned over to watch as Plagg shot towards what Adrien had taken to be a bundle of fabric on Marinette's desk. Plagg scrabbled around, tugging at the fabric, until a little red kwami was revealed. 

That confirmed it. Marinette was Ladybug.

He watched dazedly as Plagg switched the little heater on Marinette's desk on, then dragged the fabric bundle over until it was directly in front of the heater. Then Plagg disappeared into the fabric bundle, curling up around Tikki before yanking the fabric over them. Right. Cuddling. That was a thing for Ladybugs and their Black Cats. Adrien turned back to Marinette and swallowed hard. This felt _so_ wrong, but it was to save Marinette's life. He remembered what Plagg had said about Ladybugs sleeping until Spring, or beyond. Did he mean summer, or did he mean that some Ladybugs never woke up?

“Marinette?” he whispered, gently shaking her. She didn’t respond. Adrien said louder, “Marinette! Marinette! _Marinette_!” he yelled her name right in her face. Nothing.

He shook her harder, tugged at her hair, pinched her, and yelled her name for at least two minutes straight. Marinette slept placidly through it all, her chest rising and falling. He touched her neck to feel for her pulse. It was there, but it was slower than it should’ve been. He swallowed hard, realizing that there didn’t seem to be any other choice. He needed to wake her up.

"I apologize for this in advance," Adrien told the sleeping girl, slowly moving closer. He kicked his shoes off, then lifted the covers and scooted underneath. He gasped as he wrapped his arms around her. Her skin was _cold_ , so cold that someone who didn't know better might've thought she had been standing naked outside for several minutes, and clammy. He had to suppress a shiver as he shifted closer, lining their bodies up from head to toe.

It was a little awkward trying to position them when Marinette was unconscious, but finally he rolled her onto her side and pulled her back against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, covering her hands with his own, and threw his left leg over hers. It seemed to be the best he could do, even though he wanted so badly to do _more_. He didn't like that she was so still. Marinette was supposed to be full of life. She was sassy and confident and smart and kind, always ready with a smile for anyone who needed it, always ready to step up for anyone who needed her. 

"I'm sorry, My Lady," he whispered, pressing his forehead to the back of her neck. "I don't know what I could've done differently, but I wish I'd done something. Then we wouldn't be in this mess."

She slept on, her breathing shallow but regular. Adrien tried not to dwell on what would happen if she didn't wake up naturally. He would ignore everything to stay here with her for however long her parents were gone, but Alya and Nino would probably be coming by. The school would get curious when she didn't show up. Sooner or later, probably sooner, someone was going to investigate and realize that Marinette wasn't waking up. Then they'd send her to the hospital and doctors would get involved. He cringed at that thought, his grip tightening slightly. There was no medical explanation for this. 

His fear kept him awake for a long time, but eventually the comfortable bed, the weeks of little to no sleep, and his lady's rhythmic breathing lulled him into sleep. Adrien's eyes drifted shut.


	2. Chapter 2

“Marinette, we need to talk.”

“Sure, Tikki. Just let me run downstairs and get some hot chocolate,” Marinette said. 

“That’s actually what we need to talk about.”

Marinette paused before she could pull the trap door, turning to eye her kwami. “My… enjoyment of hot drinks?”

Tikki smiled. She was huddled inside one of the nests that Marinette had built for her. “No. The reason why you’ve been so cold this winter. It’s because of me. You’re a Ladybug. We don’t tolerate the cold well. And the colder it gets outside, the worst it is for us. You’re going to slow down a lot, and get very sluggish. Being in the suit will actually make it worse.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Marinette said slowly, sitting back on her heels. What Tikki was saying made sense. She’d noticed that she wasn’t tolerating the temperature that well this year. It wasn’t even full winter yet, and she’d already been forced to dig out some of her warmest sweaters. 

“It really depends on what part of the world you live in. Some of my Ladybugs haven’t had this problem at all, because they lived in warmer climates,” Tikki explained. Her little face took on a dreamy cast. “We could ride out the winter on the beach in the sunlight. I miss that.”

“Well, I’m afraid Paris isn’t that lucky. How bad will this get?” Marinette asked. Her room was pretty warm in the winter because of the heat that rose from the bakery ovens. She was fortunate in that regard. But it sounded like school and fighting akumas were both going to be problems.

“Bad, if you’re not careful,” Tikki said, refocusing on Marinette with a serious expression. “You’re going to get sleepy as you get colder. You could slip into hibernation. If that happens, you’ll sleep until spring.”

Marinette stared. “What… are you serious?!”

“Completely. Luckily for us, there is a solution.”

“What is it? Warmer clothes?” Marinette glanced over at her desk. She’d been saving up some money to buy new fabrics, but she hadn’t exactly planned on making a new winter wardrobe. She wished that Tikki had brought this up a long time ago. Maybe then she could’ve saved more of her allowance. It was going to be tricky buying heavier fabric on a budget –

“Chat Noir.”

“What?” Marinette panicked, thinking her partner had shown up, but there was no one at the skylight when she glanced up.

Tikki laughed. “No, Marinette. Chat Noir is your solution.”

“Uh, I’m going to need a better explanation.”

“The Black Cat makes extra heat for us,” Tikki explained. “You could pile as many blankets on your bed as you want and it will never warm you up like curling up in Chat Noir’s lap will. It’s part of what makes Ladybug and Chat Noir two halves of a whole. When I’m with Plagg, I feel like I’m sitting in the sunlight in the hottest part of the summer.”

Marinette stared at her again. “Are you telling me that to make it through the winter, I have to cuddle with Chat?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“Nope,” Marinette said.

“Marinette –”

“Nope. Nu uh. Not gonna happen.”

“Marinette, please,” Tikki said, an adorable pout forming on her face. “I realize that you two aren’t as close as some of the miraculous holders we’ve had in the past. I wish you had more time to get to know each other before winter comes, but you don’t. I’ve lost Ladybugs to hibernation before. I don’t want you to be one of them.”

Marinette sighed and looked away. “Fine, I’ll talk to Chat about it, okay?”

“Okay,” Tikki said.

She’d talk to him, but Marinette already knew how that conversation was going to go. It wasn’t like she was opposed to being near Chat; they’d fought together for long enough that personal space wasn’t really a thing between them. But at the same time, it was _Chat_. Her goofy partner who’d confessed to being in love with her. Cuddling with him just seemed like it would be cruel, like it would be giving him false hope. She couldn’t in good faith ask him to do that for her.

No. She’d just have to handle this herself. The Ladybugs of the past didn’t have access to the kinds of things that Marinette did. She’d make it a practice to get more sleep and wear the warmest clothing she could and drink as many hot beverages as she could handle. She’d limit her time outside and hopefully Chat would be able to take care of most of the akumas without as much help as she usually gave. 

As it turned out, the talk with Chat didn’t happen for a while – and when it did, Marinette was so tired and so pissed off at all the people who’d been asking her if she was okay lately that she ended up blowing her partner off. In spite of her apology, the guilt lingered with her as she traveled home. He’d been both earnest and concerned when he offered to share his heat with her, and hadn’t deserved her attitude.

“I’ll have to bake him something tomorrow as an apology,” Marinette said to herself as she undressed. She pulled on her warmest pajamas, shivering. Her parents would be away, so it was the perfect opportunity to be able to make Chat something really good without having to dance around their questions. She fell asleep trying to figure out whether or not Chat would prefer a cake or some macarons.

She slept deeply, and without dreams. The kind of sleep where it feels like you haven’t been sleeping for that long, but you know you have. Coming awake was like fighting through through mud; the urge to sleep tried to drag her back down. It was just so much _effort_ to wake up. And Marinette might have given up entirely had it not been for the voice saying her name.

“Marinette, please. Just open your eyes. I need to know you’re okay.”

Chat? 

That was Chat’s voice, and he sounded upset. Marinette forced her heavy eyelids to open and found herself looking up at her partner. Chat was leaning over her. One of his arms was draped over her waist. She could feel the heat of him pressed all the way up her back, and it was glorious – like coming in from a really cold day and sitting down with her back to the bakery ovens. 

“What?” Marinette mumbled, bewildered. Her foggy mind slowly began to process several things. She was not transformed, and Chat had called her Marinette, not Ladybug. Chat was in her bedroom. He was in her bed. He’d been trying to wake her up.

“Oh, Princess.” The worry and fear in his expression melted away to be replaced by relief. “Thank god.”

“What happened?” Marinette said. “Chat? How – why –”

“You didn’t show up for school. Everyone was worried. I put two and two together with some… er, help from Plagg,” Chat explained. “I came in through your window. You wouldn’t wake up.” His voice cracked. “I thought I was too late.”

“I don’t really remember what happened. I just went to bed,” Marinette said, confused. She remembered being cold and sleepy, but she hadn’t known it would be that easy to… to what? Fall into hibernation? Was that what she’d done? It sounded like it, since Chat had said he wasn’t able to wake her up. Tikki had told her that she could hibernate until spring if she wasn’t careful, but Marinette hadn’t fully believed her.

She sat up slightly, though she took care not to move too far away from her partner, and turned to face him as she said, “I’m so sorry, Chat. This is all my fault. I didn’t take Tikki seriously when she warned me about Ladybugs and the cold. I thought I’d be able to handle it on my own. I should’ve accepted your offer.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay,” Chat said earnestly. “And, uh, I’m sorry I broke into your house. And got into your bed. And cuddled you without your permission.” He was blushing.

Marinette smiled. “You saved me again,” she said, “consider this permission to come through my window and get into bed with me anytime.”

He blushed harder, and so did she once she realized how her words could be construed. She started to stammer an apology and Chat laughed, gently taking hold of her hand. Somehow, even though they were laying side by side in bed, that felt really intimate, and Marinette grew so flustered that she fell into silence altogether. Chat just smiled at her, his green eyes warm.

“I know what you meant, My Lady, and thank you for not being angry,” he said, before he grew serious. “I know who you are now. Could I – would it be okay if I de-transformed? Plagg is antsy about getting back to Tikki.”

She glanced over automatically at the desk where Tikki often slept, and saw that the heater was going full blast. She could barely see Tikki for all of the fabric that was tucked up around her. It seemed likely that Tikki had almost gone into hibernation too. Marinette had been so stupid. If it weren’t for Chat’s quick thinking and putting two-and-two together, Paris would’ve been fucked.

“If you think you can trust me, after I’ve been so dumb,” she said.

Chat frowned. “Hey. Don’t beat yourself up too much. I could’ve taken Plagg’s warnings more seriously, too.”

“At least you brought it up,” Marinette said. “I told myself that I could handle it because I had access to better heating than the Ladybugs of the past.”

“If this hadn’t happened because of magic, that would’ve been logical,” he told her, squeezing her hand. “And of course I trust you. I trust you more than anyone else in the world. Claws in!”

Marinette closed her eyes reflexively at the bright green light filling her small room. She opened them slowly, blinking past the spots, and froze when she saw Adrien Agreste sitting on the bed beside her. Adrien gave a sheepish smile, one hand rubbing at the back of his head, as Plagg darted away from them and raced back over to where Tikki was. She watched, dumbfounded, as Plagg disappeared into the nest and yanked fabric over them completely.

So she was on her own for this, then.

“A-Adrien?” she asked, just to be sure.

His smile grew. “Yeah. I felt dumb after I figured it out. You were right there in front of me this whole time.”

“Oh my god,” Marinette said. She could handle nearly hibernating for four or more months. She could even get past Chat knowing who she was. But Adrien being Chat? Nope.

“I know. It was a shock,” he admitted. “I just… I was so worried. It was bad enough I could’ve lost Ladybug, but losing you too?” His smile faded as his eyes brightened with tears. “All I could do was lay here and hug you and pray that I hadn’t been too late. You were so cold. Sometimes I could barely tell that you were breathing.”

The urge to freak out faded, overcome by concern. “Adrien…”

“And I should’ve done more! I should’ve – I don’t know, I just can’t handle seeing you like that, it was _horrible_. I couldn’t protect you this time.” A tear ran down his cheek. “I can’t lose you, Marinette.”

He’d said her name.

Not, I can’t lose you, Ladybug.

I can’t lose you, _Marinette_.

“Oh,” Marinette breathed. She flung herself across the few inches that separated them, wrapping her arms around his neck. His arms came around her waist, hugging her so tightly that her ribs ached. He gave a quiet sob, a tremor running through him, and her heart melted. There would be time to flail around and scream about this later. Right now, her kitty needed her.

“I’m sorry,” Adrien whispered.

“Shh. It’s not your fault,” Marinette murmured, petting his hair. “I should’ve taken this way more seriously than I did. We both know the side effects from our miraculous are impossible to ignore. You told me about that time you started purring during a piano lesson.” She cracked a faint smile, now knowing that had happened to Adrien. It was kind of a thrill to be able to think about all the stories Chat had told her, carefully stripped of any identifying features of course, and be able to replace a faceless boy with Adrien. 

“It took me forever to live that down,” Adrien muttered.

“I bet. I should’ve known that Tikki wouldn’t tell me about it unless it was really important. I just… I thought I could handle it, and I wasn’t sure about being in such close proximity to you. It… it seemed like I would be leading you on,” she admitted, because he deserved to know.

Adrien tensed, then pushed her back gently. “Marinette, just because I’m in love with you doesn’t mean I’m not capable of controlling my feelings,” he said, clearly offended. “And it doesn’t mean I can’t put my feelings aside to _help you_ when you need it. If you’re not comfortable cuddling with me that’s one thing, but –”

“Whoa, hey, I know. It was dumb. Really dumb. I apologize,” Marinette said. “It was never about us being close, we’re close all the time during battle and sometimes I’m like what even is personal space, because –” She stopped suddenly as her brain finally caught up with her, and she looked sharply at Adrien. “Wait, hang on. What did you just say?!”

“Which part? The part where I said I’m perfectly capable of putting aside my feelings to help my partner when she needs me, or the part where I said I’m in love with you?” Adrien asked with a perfectly straight face, blushing slightly.

Marinette opened and closed her mouth like a stranded fish out of water. “I… what.”

“I’ve always loved you,” Adrien went on, looking away finally. He rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat awkwardly. “Since that first day. I had some time to think while you were sleeping. Everything I love about Ladybug comes from you. Your courage, your strength, your kindness. The way you wrinkle your nose when you’re trying to figure out how to use your Lucky Charm, it’s the same way you wrinkle your nose when you’re trying to figure out a really tough physics problem.”

“You… noticed that?” Marinette asked in a strangled voice.

Adrien gave a light, stiff laugh. “I never realized how much I noticed you. Now I understand why Nino used to tease me so much about asking you out.” He met her eyes again. “I was just so enamoured with Ladybug that I couldn’t see past her properly.”

Wow. Marinette was truly shocked. She took a few seconds to gather her scattered thoughts before she spoke. “Adrien, do you know why I rejected you as Chat all the time? It wasn’t because I was uncomfortable. It was because this really nice, sweet boy gave me his umbrella in the rain one day, even though I’d spent the whole day yelling at him and accusing him of things he didn’t do.”

His eyes went wide. “W-what?”

“I’ve liked you for so long, Adrien. But I kinda fell for this playful, silly kitty who always has my back,” Marinette said with a smile. “Being in love with two boys was hard on the head.”

He looked so flabbergasted that she was hard-pressed not to laugh. She leaned forward, cupping his cheeks. “So I apologize for not talking to you about this. I shouldn’t have made the decision on my own. But now I’m kinda glad that I did, because I can do this.”

She leaned in even more and lightly brushed her lips across his. Adrien gave a quiet gasp, his green eyes the size of saucers, but he kissed her back. It was the best feeling in the world – until Marinette ruined it by giving an unexpected yawn right in Adrien’s face. He lurched backwards, startled, and Marinette squeaked in horror.

“Oh god, sorry, I’m still tired.”

Adrien laughed. “It’s fine. So long as you don’t hibernate on me again, you can sleep as long as you want.” He was wearing a silly smile. “But before you fall back asleep, you should text Alya. She was getting worried.”

“Damn.” Marinette grabbed for her phone, wincing at the numerous missed calls and texts. Worried was an understatement. 

“Come here,” Adrien said, and, when Marinette looked back at him, she saw that he’d propped the pillows up so he could lean against them. She gratefully scooted back into him, resting her shoulder against his chest and laying her hair on his shoulder. He pulled the covers up around them and loosely wrapped his arms around her waist, his legs on either side of hers. It made for a deliciously warm cocoon and Marinette sighed happy even as she unlocked her phone to start texting Alya back.

She could get used to spending winters like this.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](http://tsuki-chibi.tumblr.com/).


End file.
